It couldn’t be true. Braxton wouldn’t do that to me. He knew how much I cared about him, how much I loved him, and how long I’d waited for us to be together. He would not break my heart like that.
Would he?
The fact that I even had to question it pissed me off. This on top of getting the news about my dad was too much, damn it. My heart couldn’t take any more of this shit.
Strong hands caught me around the waist from behind, stopping me in my tracks. Keeping one hand on my side, Braxton walked in front of me, his face tense as he met my gaze. “What the hell is wrong with you? Why did you storm out like that?”
Lifting my phone, I shoved the picture of him with his parents and fiancée in his face. “What the fuck is this?” I demanded, going on the offensive and watching his face as he looked at the screen.
His jaw clenched as he took my phone from me and groaned. “Fuck. I should have known it would get out like that. My parents don’t have social media, though, so I didn’t consider it.”
“Is it true?” I cringed when I heard the catch in my voice, hating that I didn’t sound stronger. My anger was already dying down, and the heartbreak was winning.
He cupped each side of my face in his hands. “No, baby. No. Of course it’s not true.”
“Then why is this a big story on a reputable news site? This isn’t fake news, Brax. It’s a legit site.”
Muttering a curse, he touched his lips to the corner of my mouth before pulling back so our eyes locked. “Because my parents want it to be true. They’re delusional if they actually think I’m going to marry Darcy, though.”
“Just who is Darcy to you anyway?”
His lips twisted in a pained grimace. “She was my high school girlfriend. And before you ask, yes, I did ask her to marry me back then. But I regretted it almost as soon as I did.”
“You loved her?” He shrugged, and jealousy twisted in my gut. “Do you still?”
“Fuck no!” he exclaimed, his hands dropping to my waist and pulling me closer. “I love you, Nevaeh. Listen to me. I don’t even think I ever loved Darcy back then. It was more infatuation and the fact that she was good in bed.”
My jealousy wasn’t getting any better with his explanation. If anything, I only wanted to rip Darcy’s hair out more and more with every word out of his mouth.
“When I lost my leg, she didn’t want anything to do with me, and I was relieved to be finished with her without having to break it off myself. I swear to you, there is nothing—absolutely nothing—going on between the two of us.”
His vehement denial calmed some of my doubts, but I was still hurt he hadn’t told me this had gone on at the party his parents had forced him to attend. Yet I understood why he hadn’t. I’d been a mess all weekend, so of course, he wasn’t going to unload all of that on me when I was dealing with Daddy’s illness.
“No secrets,” I told him, forcing myself to relax against him. “Promise me we won’t keep anything from each other. No matter how big or small.”
“No secrets,” he vowed, brushing his lips softly over mine. “I’ll tell you everything. Now, let’s go get our stuff so I can walk your fine ass to your math class.”
“Only if you tell me you love me again,” I murmured.
He brushed my hair back from my face, his dark eyes full of need and adoration. “I love you, Kitten. Always.”
Chapter 15
Braxton
After leaving Nevaeh at the door to her class, I met Lyla on the edge of campus. She was helping me shop for Christmas because I sucked so royally at it.
She sat in the back of the town car, the driver one of the many guards her brother had hired from Seller’s after one of his other men had kidnapped Lyla and her stepdaughter, Josie. Getting in beside her, I tossed her the list of names I needed to buy for and leaned my head back against the seat with a groan.
“Saw the picture of you and that slore Darcy with Aunt Belinda and Uncle Miles,” she commented casually. “What kind of acid were those three on over the weekend? I mean, shit, do they actually think they can play with your life like that?”
“They need professional help, that’s for fucking sure. They are seriously delusional if they think I’m going to play along and marry that bitch. It’s already messing with Nevaeh and me. I hadn’t told her what happened at the party yet because of everything going on with her dad, and then she saw the picture in her social media.”
I’d nearly lost my mind when I’d seen her run out of the café with tears in her eyes. She’d shot me a glare, and I’d suddenly felt like I was gasping for air. When she’d shoved her phone in my face, I’d wanted to tear my parents and Darcy apart with my bare hands.
“That sucks. But she’s cool now, right? You two are okay?”
I nodded. “Yeah, we’re good. She knows I wouldn’t marry Darcy even if they paid me a billion dollars.”